Dan Dreiberg
From Watchmen Wiki
| Daniel Dreiberg | |
 | |
| Alias | Nite Owl (1965 - 1985) Sam Hollis (1985 - ) |
| Born | 1945 |
| Actor | Patrick Wilson |
'Daniel Dreiberg (1945 - ), a.k.a. Nite Owl', is a main character in Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. He is a modified version of the various Blue Beetle characters created for Fox Feature Syndicate and later sold to Charlton Comics. In fact he bears certain similarities in appearance to Batman.
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Biography
Born in 1945, Daniel Dreiberg relied more upon technical wizardry and tools than toughness, which set him apart from his fellow costumed adventurers. Still, he has demonstrated more than adequate skills when defending himself. All of his gadgets and costumes are based on an owl theme. He uses an owl-shaped flying vehicle nicknamed the "Owlship" or "Archie" (after Archimedes, Merlin's pet owl in The Sword in the Stone), equipped with a variety of offensive and defensive devices.
Dreiberg's father was a banker who left him a large inheritance, which he used to design and build his crime-fighting gear. Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, was his hero and when he retired, Dan wrote to Mason, asking if he could carry on his name. Upon looking at his gear, Mason was too impressed to refuse him, so Dan started out in the 1960s. From then on, the two men became friends, and met every Saturday.
In 1965, Dreiberg (as Nite Owl) successfully debuted and teamed up with fellow costumed adventurer Rorschach to take on organized crime. Later on he became a member of the Crimebusters. Having already come to believe that his expensive activities were accomplishing little, Dreiberg retired after the passing of the Keene Act on August 3, 1977, although in 1985 (when the story takes place) he seems to regret his decision. Rorschach would later say regarding his retirement, "No staying power." When not fighting crime, Dreiberg mastered in aeronautics and zoology at Harvard University, contributing scholarly articles to ornithological journals after his retirement in 1977.
Events of Watchmen
Dreiberg was the first of the "masks" that Rorschach warned after the death of Edward Blake. Afterward, he met with Laurie Juspeczyk, the second Silk Spectre, at a coffee shop, and the two reminisce about their times as costumed adventurers. He later attends Blake's funeral, along with Jon Osterman and Adrian Veidt.
After Osterman leaves for Mars, Dreiberg takes in Laurie, who had left Osterman before his self-imposed exile. The two explore their feelings for each other, and attempt to make love. However, Dan experiences a moment of impotency and they are unable to. Afterward, Dreiberg goes to his lab, where he expresses how helpless he feels in the face of impending nuclear war. He and Laurie decide to dress as avengers again and experience that sense of power they had before. They decide to take the Owlship and patrol New York City once again, in defiance of the Keene Act. Discovering a fire at a tenement, they come to the rescue and evacuate everybody from the burning building safely. Being in his Nite Owl persona again revives Dan's spirit, and he and Laurie are able to make rather passionate love in the Owlship above the city.
It was Dreiberg's idea to break Rorschach out of Sing Sing, and he and Laurie assault the prison successfully. Afterward, as Laurie is taken to Mars by Jon Osterman, he and Rorschach explore the New York underworld looking for clues on whatever plot is taking place. They discover that the prison break led to a series of anti-superhero riots, including the murder of Dreiberg's predecessor and mentor as Nite Owl, Hollis Mason. Dreiberg swears vengeance with such fury that Rorscharch, who is notorious as an insane murderer, has to restrain him. During their interrogations, they determine that the plot leads straight to Adrian Veidt. The two head to Karnak, Veidt's fortress in Antarctica, in the Owlship.
In Antarctica, Veidt reveals his plan to send a genetically-engineered "alien" to New York City, killing millions, but with the hope that it will be perceived as an extraterrestrial threat, forcing the nations of Earth to end their Cold War and work together. Although Nite Owl wants to stop it, it's already too late: the "alien" had already been teleported to New York City, and the plan is in motion. Veidt, Dreiberg and Rorschach watch the devestation, and look on as the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union end their standoff and agree to work together to end the "alien" threat.
After a brief fight, joined by Jon Osterman and Laurie Juspeczyk, most of the masks (except Rorschach) agree with Veidt that, although terrible, the preceeding events are preferable to a nuclear holocaust. Rorschach tries to leave to tell the world of the plan, but is killed by Osterman. Veidt agrees to give Dreiberg and Laurie protection at his fortress. After coming in from killing Rorschach, Osterman sees Dreiberg and Laurie laying together on a fur rug, naked. He smiles.
In the final act, Dreiberg and Laurie have taken on a new identity, Sam and Sandra Hollis, since they are assumed to have been killed in the "alien" attack. They pay a visit to Laurie's mother, Sally Jupiter, where mother and daughter make amends for years of animosity.
Personality
Like Hollis Mason before him, Dan Dreiberg was friendly, honest, and affable. Also like Mason, he lacked psychological issues like the ones that tainted many of his colleagues. Dreiberg appears to have old-fashioned tastes in music, preferring 1930-1940s jazz to modern pop music.
There is a vague suggestion that Dreiberg may have been sexually inexperienced before he became involved with Laurie Juspeczyk. Though his use of the word "impotent" during a chapter has also led to the hypothesis he may have suffered from impotency.
Film
Patrick Wilson portrays the second Nite Owl, Dan Dreiberg, in the film.[1] Although not a comics fan, Wilson enjoyed Watchmen upon reading it and opted to gain weight for the part, rather than wear a fat-suit. Stephen McHattie portrays the elder Nite Owl, Hollis Mason. John Cusack, who is an admitted fan of the graphic novel, expressed great interest in playing the role.[2]
References
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ MTV "John Cusack Calls Hilary Duff 'A Revelation'; Has His Eye On Watchmen" by Shawn Adler 2007-06-13
Gallery
 Poster |
 With the Comedian |
.JPG) Dan suits up |
 Talking about the old days with Rorschach |
 At the Comedian's funeral |
_jailbreak.jpg) Jailbreak with Silk Spectre |
 Wallpaper |
| Watchmen Heroes | |
| Minutemen | |
|---|---|
| Captain Metropolis • Hooded Justice • Nite Owl I • The Comedian • Silk Spectre I • Dollar Bill • Mothman • Silhouette | |
| Crimebusters | |
| Captain Metropolis • Doctor Manhattan • Rorschach • The Comedian • Ozymandias • Nite Owl II • Silk Spectre II |
